How to Shop for a Safe Car for Child Passengers

These guidelines follow the recommendations of AAA and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Infant Car Seats
• Child Safety Seats

1. Look for a car with a safety belt for each child you will be transporting.
2. Check that the type of restraint system provided is adequate for the ages and sizes of your children.
3. Make sure the car's lap- or shoulder-belt systems can accommodate your children if they have outgrown car seats.
4. Consider the compatibility of a car seat with the car in question.
5. Read the owner's manual regarding proper use of seat belts.
6. Consider buying cars with safety locks and override window controls.

Tips & Warnings

• Children are safest in the backseat of a car.
• Some cars provide permanent built-in child seats for children at least a year old and more than 20 pounds.
• Installing child safety seats in a two-door car, in a car with small backseats, or in the backseat of a pickup truck may prove difficult.
• The safety-belt systems in vehicles manufactured before September 1, 1995, call for additional parts in order to install child safety seats correctly. Cars manufactured after this time include safety belt locking features that make it easier to properly install child safety seats.